
US strikes 16 Iranian minelayers as Tehran vows to block oil exports
India Today
The US says it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels amid rising tensions in the Gulf, as Iran vowed to block oil exports to its enemies. The conflict, now in its 11th day, has intensified fears over disruptions to global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
The US said it took out more than a dozen mine-laying Iranian vessels Tuesday, and the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region’s oil exports, saying it would not allow “even a single litre” to be shipped to its enemies.
As concerns grew about the war’s effect on a strategic waterway, the American military said it destroyed 16 minelayers, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped.
The American military released the figure, along with unclassified footage of some of the vessels, after Trump threatened to hit Iran at “a level never seen before” if the country failed to immediately remove any mines it might have deployed in the channel.
Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as the war entered its 11th day. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet while the Pentagon detailed the broader toll of injuries sustained by US troops.
The conflict’s effects rippled across the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders ruled out talks, threatened Trump and launched new attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab countries.

When we look at Iran through the prism of religion and see a Shia Islamic country, we negate its thousands of years of rich pre-Islamic Persian culture. A dive into the world of Zoroastrianism and Vedas shows us how Indians and Iranians have been sharing languages, Gods, sciences and a sacred fire for thousands of years.












